This is an ambitious target and Portugal is leading the way. The Council of Ministers approved the Roadmap for Carbon Neutrality on 6th June. "We are the first country in the world with a structured roadmap that covers all sectors of the economy", said the Minister for the Environment and Energy Transition, João Pedro Matos Fernandes. The goal: only to emit the carbon dioxide that vegetation manages to retain, within 30 years.
The Portuguese strategy is consistent with the provisions of the Paris Agreement – which establishes the commitment to limit the increase in global temperature to no more than 1.5°C – in the fight against climate change and a reduction in the greenhouse effect. The involvement of civil society and companies will be vital in relation to the goal to decarbonise the economy in the four areas in question: energy, transport, waste, and agriculture, forests and use of the soil.
Among the different measures to be implemented, the resolution approved by the Portuguese government consists of the acquisition and lease of zero-emission vehicles by the State business sector, thereby helping to decarbonise public enterprise car fleets. This is yet another step towards reducing national greenhouse gas emissions by between 45% and 55% by 2030, where the transport sector is expected to register a 40% reduction.
ENERGY TRANSITION
Portugal will also work towards an increase in the electrification of the economy to 65%, the production of solar energy, a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 25% reduction in the generation of urban waste. Due to the increase in the consumption of water, in addition to the frequency and intensity of droughts, reuse has arisen as an alternative for the sustainable use of water resources. In this regard, and from the perspective of a circular economy, the Government intends to promote a more rational use of water, and has approved a decree-law establishing the legal framework for the production of water for reuse based on the treatment of wastewater.
In brief, the Government is active on three fronts in relation to the environment: carbon neutrality, circular economy and territorial enhancement. The last of the three is related to the management of protected areas, the repopulation of exotic species of fauna and flora, in addition to measures to adapt to climate change, with a focus on the promotion of the use of additional mitigation measures – to combat the causes – and adaptation measures – to minimise the impacts –, with a view to a carbon-neutral and climate-resistant society, adapted to the consequences thereof, and thereby reducing vulnerability and achieving sustainable development.
Portugal is just one of the countries working towards the common goal for all governments. Contributions have been arriving from all over the world. According to the report, issued prior to the UN Climate Change Convention held in Germany, in June, the world is more aware of the problem. But it is not yet time to slow down. “Ramping up our activities has never been so important”, said Patrícia Espinosa, executive secretary for Climate Change at the UN.
This article has been published in the printed edition of Energiser.